Kim Murphy Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

J. Kim Murphy Animals rights activists have condemned the death of a horse on the set of Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” On March 21, a horse suffered cardiac arrest ahead of rehearsals on the production of the fantasy streaming series. Amazon Studios released a statement confirming the situation on Sunday morning. “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a production horse died on 21st March,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “The incident took place in the morning whilst the horse was being exercised prior to rehearsals. The trainer was not in costume and filming had yet to commence. Both a veterinarian and a representative of the American Humane Association were present at the time. The independent necropsy has confirmed that the horse died of cardiac failure.”

J. Kim Murphy Tommy Wiseau is back behind the camera again. The director and star of “The Room” has debuted the trailer for “Big Shark,” his first follow-up feature to his trademark 2003 cult melodrama. “Big Shark” follows three firefighters, Georgie, Patrick and Tim, as they work to save New Orleans from an attack by — you guessed it — a very big shark. While this first look at “Big Shark” is only now being debuted online, the trailer has already been playing for audiences at theatrical screenings of “The Room” over recent months. “Big Shark” will kick off its rollout on April 2 with a debut screening at Cinema 21 in Portland, Ore. Screenings will follow over the coming months, with a tentative schedule of engagements hosted by Prytania Theatres at Canal Place in New Orleans (April 28 and 29), the Balboa Theatre in San Francisco, Calif. (May 5 and 6), the Landmark Westwood in Los Angeles (June 2 and 3) and the Village East by Angelika in New York City (August 10, 11 and 12).

J. Kim Murphy Barney’s back. Neil Patrick Harris is set to reprise his star-making role of Barney Stinson on the upcoming mid-season finale of the Hulu original spinoff series “How I Met Your Father.” Harris was a main cast member and a fan favorite on the original CBS comedy series “How I Met Your Mother,” which ran for nine seasons after debuting in 2005. Harris earned four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series over the course of his tenure with the show, in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Harris will appear in next week’s two-episode mid-season finale of “How I Met Your Father,” which debuts on Hulu on March 28. After the duo of installments, the series will take a hiatus for a few weeks before continuing its 20-episode second season on May 23.

J. Kim Murphy “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” is thundering to a No. 1 opening at the box office, though the DC Comics adaptation is expected to fly in lower than its predecessor. “Fury of the Gods” grossed $11.7 million in opening day ticket sales, a figure that includes $3.4 million in Thursday previews. That’s almost half of the $20.3 million that the 2019 original earned in its first day of release, on its way to a $53 million bow. “Fury of the Gods” carries a production budget of $125 million, which is $25 million higher than its predecessor’s. Opening in 4,071 theaters, the superhero sequel will likely struggle to reach a $30 million debut. With DC Studios under the newly minted leadership of Peter Safran and James Gunn, “Shazam! 2” represents somewhat of a relic of a bygone regime for the comic book banner. While a film like “The Flash” was also conceived before Safran and Gunn’s tenure, the pair of CEOs have often declared their conviction in the quality of the upcoming Ezra Miller film. Chatter around the “Shazam!” sequel has been much quieter.

J. Kim Murphy Bert I. Gordon, an American filmmaker whose low-budget creature features brought super-sized monsters to drive-in cinemas in the mid-20th century, died Wednesday in Los Angeles after collapsing at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 100. Gordon’s death was confirmed to the New York Times by his daughter, Patricia. In Atomic Age America, Gordon’s science-fiction B movies manifested the country’s nuclear anxieties as eye-popping apocalypse spectacles. Mostly working under shooting schedules that could total to two weeks and change at most, Gordon produced, directed and wrote more than 25 features over a career spanning six decades, including striking titles like “Village of the Giants” (1965), “How to Succeed With Sex” (1970) and “Empire of the Ants” (1977). His films “Necromancy” (1972)” and “The Food of the Gods” (1976) featured Orson Welles and Ida Lupino, respectively.

J. Kim Murphy “The Way of Water” has no beginning and no end — even in your living room! James Cameron’s long awaited “Avatar” sequel has finally set a digital platform release date. The sci-fi epic will be available to purchase on March 28, setting course for Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu and Movies Anywhere.

J. Kim Murphy “John Wick: Chapter 4” officially bowed at its London premiere Monday evening, with the social media reactions embargo lifting during the event. The fourth entry picks up following the end of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum,” which saw Keanu Reeves’ infamous assassin take a tumble from atop the Continental Hotel after being betrayed by his confidante Winston (Ian McShane). Of course, Wick lives. “Chapter 4” finds the deadly pariah traveling the globe to free himself from the rule of the elusive, cutthroat High Table. The critical darling action series has drawn strong praise in its first round of reactions, especially for its deep bench of sparring partners that includes Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Marko Zazor, Scott Adkins and Rina Sawayama. Another central topic of opinion is the film’s runtime, which clocks in at a lengthy two hours and 49 minutes — 38 minutes longer than the previous entry’s.

J. Kim Murphy Emma Heming Willis, wife to actor Bruce Willis, has made a statement asking paparazzi to “keep your space” when following the 67-year-old actor, who was recently diagnosed with dementia. Heming Willis posted a video on Instagram, recounting a recent incident in which photographers attempted to speak to her husband while he made a rare public appearance to meet with a group of friends for coffee in Santa Monica. “If you are someone who is looking after someone with dementia, you know how difficult and stressful it can be to get someone out into the world and to navigate them safely, even just to get a cup of coffee,” she said. “It’s clear that there’s still a lot of education that needs to be put worth. So this one is going out to the photographers and video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about. Just keep your space.”

J. Kim Murphy “Creed III” is set to knock out “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” for the top spot on domestic charts. The MGM released took in an impressive $22 million opening day, a figure that includes $5.45 million from preview screenings earlier in the week. Playing in 4,007 locations, the “Rocky” spinoff is now projecting an opening north of $50 million, exceeding initial expectations that had the drama pegged at an opening in the $30 millions. It would also mark a franchise high across all the “Creed” films and the entire “Rocky” series, rocketing beyond the three-day debuts of the first “Creed” ($29 million) and its 2018 sequel ($35 million).

J. Kim Murphy Gordon Pinsent, a prolific Canadian actor who gained international recognition in 2006 for his performance alongside Julie Christie in Sarah Polley’s drama “Away From Her,” died Saturday. He was 92 years old. Pinsent’s death was confirmed to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation through a statement released by his family. No further details about his death are available at this time. “Gordon Pinsent’s daughters, Leah and Beverly, and his son, Barry, would like to announce the passing of their father peacefully in sleep today with his family at his side,” reads a note written on behalf of Pinsent’s family by his son-in-law, Peter Keleghan. “Gordon passionately loved this country and its people, purpose and culture to his last breath.”

J. Kim Murphy Bethlyn Hand, who served as senior vice president of advertising and administration for the Motion Picture Association of America, died Feb. 14 of Alzheimer’s disease. She was 85 years old. Hand joined the Hollywood trade organization shortly after Jack Valenti began his 37-year tenure as MPA president in 1966. “She was by my side at the very beginning of my tenure at the MPAA,” Valenti said in 2003, four years before his death in 2007. “I got a lot of credit for what she did.” Working with the MPAA, Hand’s responsibilities included the approval of marketing campaigns aligning with the guidelines of its ratings program — a duty that often spurred studio executives and producers to meet with her to plead their cases. In the ’90s, Hand was named one of Hollywood’s most powerful women by the Hollywood Reporter.

J. Kim Murphy Actor Tom Sizemore has been hospitalized after suffering a bran aneurysm. He is currently in critical condition. Sizemore’s representation confirmed the actor’s health status. His family has been made aware of the circumstances. Things are currently a “wait and see situation,” per Sizemore’s representation. According to reports, Sizemore was discovered at his Los Angeles home around 2 a.m. and was promptly transferred to a local hospital. The 61-year-old Sizemore came into his own as a Hollywood actor in the 1990s, building a career out through a variety of tough guy roles in action and drama films. He is likely best known for his performance as Technical Sergeant Mike Horvath in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 war film “Saving Private Ryan,” which was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards.

J. Kim Murphy Dave Hollis, a former Disney executive who served as the company’s president of worldwide distribution until resigning in 2018, died Saturday night at his home in Austin, Texas. He was 47 years old. Hollis had been recently hospitalized for heart-related health issues, though no exact cause of death has been determined. Hollis’ became Disney’s theatrical distribution chief in 2011, taking the reins from a retiring Chuck Viane. Hollis’ tenure coincided with several of the largest box office successes in the studio’s history, shepherding titles from Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and Pixar, as well as live-action remakes of animated classics and new animated features. The resounding achievements that came with Hollis’ leadership made his 2018 resignation from the company all the more surprising. Well-liked within the industry and an affable ambassador for Disney, Hollis left Disney (and California) to become CEO of Chic Media, a production company founded by Hollis’ wife at the time, Rachel Hollis. The two divorced in more recent years.

J. Kim Murphy “The Penguin” continues to expand its ensemble, as the DC limited series has added Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Deirdre O’Connell to its cast. Character details for the three actors remain under wraps. Kelly is best known for his roles in Netflix’s “House of Cards” and Amazon’s “Jack Ryan.” Aghdashloo earned critical acclaim for her performance in 2003’s “House of Sand and Fog” and starred in the Syfy series “The Expanse.” O’Connell won a Tony award last year for her performance in “Dana H.” and has appeared in numerous films and series since her first credits in the 1980s. The eight-episode limited series stars Colin Farrell, reprising his role as the eponymous comic book villain after first appearing in last year’s DC Studios feature “The Batman.” Variety exclusively reported that Farrell had signed on to star in a Penguin series in December 2021, with HBO Max officially ordering it in March 2022. The cast also includes Cristin Milioti and Rhenzy Feliz.

J. Kim Murphy “Halloween Ends” may be the last we see of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, but the horror series still kills at the box office. Universal’s slasher finale is off to a strong start, projecting a $43.4 million opening from 3,901 theaters. Even with “Halloween Ends” receiving a simultaneous streaming debut on Peacock, the film has managed to draw an impressive figure. It will earn more than enough to top weekend charts, sparking some life into what has largely been a muted season for moviegoing. “Ends” is tracking below last year’s franchise entry, “Halloween Kills,” which earned a $49 million domestic opening with its own day-and-date release. 2018’s “Halloween,” the first entry in this new sequel trilogy to John Carpenter’s landmark 1978 original, released exclusively to theaters, at a time before Peacock was anything more than a developing project at NBCUniversal. The film garnered a staggering $76 million — still the third-highest domestic debut ever for a horror film, after the two “It” entries.

J. Kim Murphy Sydney Sweeney has found another film project to add to her slate, setting plans to star in a new “Barbarella” movie for Sony Pictures, a source close to the project confirmed. The film remains in early development, with no director, producer or writer currently attached. Sweeney seemed to confirm her involvement with the project through an Instagram post late Tuesday afternoon. The actress shared an image of original artwork from the original 1968 space opera, with a caption: “time to save the universe.”A post shared by Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney) Sweeney has become somewhat of a marquee talent at Sony Pictures, with the actress co-starring alongside Dakota Johnson in the Marvel Comics adaptation “Madame Web.” The studio also landed the rights to “The Registration,” an adaptation of Madison Lawson’s thriller of the same name. Brad Fuller is producing, while Sweeney is attached to star.

J. Kim Murphy Michelle Yeoh and Pete Davidson are rolling out for “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” with both actors cast in voice roles in the upcoming franchise entry from Paramount. “Rise of the Beasts” director Steven Caple Jr. shared the news of the pair joining the production through an Instagram post on Tuesday afternoon, featuring two different videos from recording sessions — the first with Davidson and the second with Yeoh.A post shared by Steven Caple Jr. (@stevencaplejr) Yeoh voices a character named Airazor, while Davidson voices Mirage. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian and Duncan Henderson. The film is set to hit theaters on June 9, 2023.

J. Kim Murphy Austin Stoker, a veteran actor who most notably starred in John Carpenter’s sophomore feature “Assault on Precinct 13” and co-starred with Pam Grier in the 1975 blaxploitation feature “Sheba, Baby,” died Friday of renal failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 92. Details regarding Stoker’s death were shared by his wife of 43 years, Robin Stoker, on her personal Facebook Monday evening. Robin called Austin “the love of my life” in her tribute. In another tribute, actor and director Bill Duke hailed Stoker as “one of Hollywood’s unsung actors” and shared his blessings to his family.

J. Kim Murphy Legendary Television president Chris Albrecht has been placed on a leave of absence by the company, a spokesperson for Legendary confirmed to Variety Monday. No official reason for the exec’s leave of absence was provided.

J. Kim Murphy “Star Trek” took over New York Comic Con on Saturday afternoon with a triple-series panel for Paramount+ series “Discovery,” “Prodigy” and “Picard,” which kicked off by revealing the teaser for Season 5 of “Star Trek: Discovery.” “Discovery” star Sonequa Martin-Green joined the NYCC panel to introduce the teaser for the Paramount+ series, which provides fans a first look at new characters played by Callum Keith Rennie, Eve Harlow and Elias Toufexis. Rennie plays Rayner, a weathered Starfleet captain who’s at home in the battle. Harlow portrays Moll, a cunning outlaw that faces off with the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery. L’ak, Moll’s partner, is played by Toufexis. The “Discovery” NYCC panel featured cast members Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz, as well as executive producers Michelle Paradise, Alex Kurtzman and Rod Roddenberry.

J. Kim Murphy “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler has opened up about his grieving for the film’s star Chadwick Boseman, who died in Aug. 2020 after a private battle with colon cancer. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the filmmaker shared that Boseman’s death led him to reconsider continuing his work in the entertainment industry. “I was at a point when I was like, ‘I’m walking away from this business,'” Coogler stated. “I didn’t know if I could make another movie period [or] another ‘Black Panther’ movie, because it hurt a lot. I was like, ‘Man, how could I open myself up to feeling like this again?'” Coogler went on to explain that he spent the following weeks revisiting footage of himself with Boseman, who he saw as a major creative collaborator and champion of “Black Panther.” Returning to memories of his own relationship with the actor, the filmmaker began to rediscover his passion for the kingdom of Wakanda and its narrative possibilities.

J. Kim Murphy “Smile” has something grin about this weekend. The creeper is projected to land a $19 million debut from 3,645 locations. It’s a fantastic start for the genre film, which carries a modest $17 million production budget. Compared to other original horror entries this year, Universal’s supernatural kidnap thriller “The Black Phone” kicked off with $23 million while 20th Century Studios’ “Barbarian” opened to $10 million. “Smile” landed a mildly positive “B-” grade through research firm Cinema Score, though such a figure is standard for a horror release. The film has drawn good buzz with solid reviews, scoring a 79% from top critics on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. Variety‘s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman praised the film in his review, writing that it “sets up nearly everything — its highly effective creep factor, its well-executed if familiar shock tactics, its interlaced theme of trauma and suicide — before the opening credits.”

J. Kim Murphy Bassam Tariq has exited his role as director of Marvel Studios’ “Blade.” Tariq’s departure comes as a shock, as production was set to begin in November on Marvel’s new feature about the iconic comic book vampire slayer. The film is set to star Mahershala Ali in the title role, alongside a cast that includes Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre. Although he will no longer be helming “Blade,” sources close to the situation state that Tariq will remain attached to the project as an executive producer. The filmmaker was first confirmed as the director of “Blade” in the summer of 2021.

J. Kim Murphy “The Woman King” has found its throne at the box office. The Sony release is drumming up a projected $18 million opening from 3,765 locations, in line with most analysts’ estimates heading into the weekend. The epic also benefited from landing some premium format auditoriums, such as Imax, lending an additional boost to revenue. Though that doesn’t necessarily qualify as a grand opening, it’s a solid start for the action film, which carries a $50 million production budget and has no ties to existing franchises. What’s more, it’s more than enough for “The Woman King” to top box office charts on a slow weekend with few rival releases.

J. Kim Murphy “Trying” has been renewed for a fourth season at Apple TV+. The British comedy series will return for another new slate of episodes. The news of the renewal for the favorably reviewed series comes three days ahead of its upcoming Season 3 finale, which will debut on the streamer on Friday. When “Trying” premiered its first season on Apple TV+ in May 2020, all eight episodes became available to watch on the platform on the same day. Since then, the series has shifted to a weekly format, with a new episode becoming available on the platform each Friday this season. The Season 2 and Season 3 premiere dates are an exception, which both saw two episodes released at once to launch a new season.

J. Kim Murphy “Yellowstone” is back in the first teaser for the fifth season of Paramount Network’s hit Western series. Paramount Network premiered the first footage during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday evening. The fifth season of “Yellowstone” will premiere on the Paramount Network in a two-hour event on Nov. 13. “All will be revealed,” the promotion teases, between footage of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton, firearms being reloaded and the Dutton family gearing up to defend their ranch land. The teaser reveal arrives just days before Paramount Network launches its “Yellowstone” series marathon for Labor Day weekend, beginning on Friday.

J. Kim Murphy Bob LuPone, a leader of the off-Broadway company MCC Theater and brother to actress Patti LuPone, died Saturday following a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 76 years old. LuPone’s death was confirmed by the MCC Theater in a statement released on Saturday to the Associated Press. “The MCC Theater community mourns the loss of our much loved and uniquely inspiring partner, colleague and dear friend, Bob LuPone, who lived fearlessly and with great curiosity, good humor, a boundless passion for connection and a whole lot of heart. We will miss him deeply and always,” the theater company said in a statement.

J. Kim Murphy Joanne Koch, the executive director emeritus at Film at Lincoln Center who served as the organization’s leader for over 32 years, died on Aug. 16 in New York City.

J. Kim Murphy Leon Vitali, an English actor who most notably played Lord Bullingdon in “Barry Lyndon” before becoming director Stanley Kubrick’s personal assistant, died Saturday.

J. Kim Murphy Gary Busey is facing four charges, including two counts of criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree, by the police department of Cherry Hill, N.J.